FAIRY-TALE WORLDS

fairy-tale wo rl ds

Exclusive Interview with ANASTASIA LAVRU

1. Could you tell us a bit about who you are, what you do, and where you are in the world right now?

I live in Moscow. I’ve illustrated just one book for now. I mainly draw for commercial projects and do art commissions for people all around the world. I’ve also created several “How to draw” lessons for my website. The most important thing for me is that the commissions reflect my creativity and are interesting to me, because this is when I am most satisfied with the outcome.

2. Where did you grow up? How was your childhood like?

I grew up in a small Russian city. My parents have their own house, and large fields surrounded our house back then. In summer we wandered in the tall grass, rode bicycles, swam in the river, in winter we sledged down the hills. I often dreamed of secluded beautiful places, which were few in our city — later I would draw these fantasies in my pictures.

3. Can you begin by telling me a little bit about your art practice? How did you begin working as an artist? When did you discover that you wanted to be an artist?

I went to art school when I was a child, then I entered the Faculty of Architecture. I tried to work as an architect for several years, but I quickly discovered that this job didn’t feel creative enough for me. There were too many constructions and rules that had to be followed in design. Later we moved to Moscow. That’s when my husband suggested that I should draw more and maybe even change my profession. Then one day I remembered my childhood fantasies and realized that drawing fiction is much more interesting than drawing a reality. I started drawing imaginary places and I really like it to this day.

4. How do you define your illustrations?

My illustrations are memories of an ideal world that I came up with when I was a child. It is not exactly the same as those fantasies, but I always remember the mood those dreams gave me, and I try to convey it in my illustrations.

5. What is your relation with colors?

I like warm colors. I use this part of the spectrum, warm grays, browns and even warm greens if we talk about pencils. I use colors more freely in other techniques. An important lesson that I remembered from my painting teacher is not to interfere with the paint on the palette for a long time. Apply it faster while the colour has power.

6. Who/what inspired you?

I do like a lot of contemporary illustrators, but I try to spend more time flipping through pictures of old books. I love the Northern Renaissance, Russian icons, medieval book illustrations. I think this is what inspires me the most.

7. How do you learn about new techniques and tools?

Sometimes I just come into the art shop and choose some new material, try it out to see how it blends with others. I look at my colleagues and sometimes I notice interesting solutions and learn from them. I try to do something similar, but it always turns out a little differently. It is very interesting.

8. Can you tell us more about your recent or ongoing projects?

I worked on several commercial projects recently, one of them is a Harry Potter in-spired illustration, which will then be printed on a mug. Right now I can’t say exactly what the picture is, ‘cause the mug has not come out yet, so I must not reveal the secret.

9. How do you find thinking about the book as a whole – the text, illustration, de-sign – in comparison with illustrating someone else’s text? Is there anyone in particular that you would love to collaborate with?

If one day I am commissioned to draw Diagon Alley with all its shops and residents in great detail, I will accept right away.

10. What would you like to do as future projects?

I would like to draw a picture book, come up with a plot that will be understandable without words, which will be interesting to children and adults. This is a difficult task, and I think it will take me a lot of time to solve it.

11. Where can people find your work out in the world?

You can order a couple of my postcards, many illustrations are printed on postcards and are already scattered around the world. You can also follow me on Instagram or visit my website!